Apple iPod Touch

Apple has done it again! While the world’s news headlines were over with the iPhone and its spectacular success, Apple Inc. has once again hit the headlines by launching a new range of iPods called iPod Touch. While many analysts had seen this coming, it wasn’t expected so soon after the launch of iPhone, as iPod touch is everything iPhone is, minus the phone. While the show stealer was Apple’s decision to slash prices for iPhone 8GB by $200, and discontinuing iPhone 4GB, thus angering many early iPhone buyers, the other most important announcement from the press conference on 5th September is the launch of iPod Touch.

When iPod Nano was first unveiled almost two years back, it had provoked mixed reactions. But the initial sales proved strong, and it surpassed the million units mark in less than 17-days. The iPod Nano was launched to replace iPod Mini which had a monochrome display to show the tracks, and was built using a hard disk drive. The Nano scored over this as it had a color screen, and a flash drive. This, and the fact that iPod Mini was discontinued were critical in driving sales for the Nano.

But things are different with the launch of iPod Touch. Touch doesn’t replace Nano, or any other line of iPod. On the contrary, along with the launching of Touch, Apple has also upgraded its Nano series that now includes smaller, sleek designs, anodized aluminum and polished stainless steel enclosures and video playback! This in no way implies that Touch is not good; in fact, it retains everything from the iPhone, including Wi-Fi. But if we look at the whole range from a more practical point of view, it wouldn’t make much sense to go in for Touch. Nano is small enough to be used while jogging, and other physical activities. And while 8GB Nano comes at $199, a similar Touch retails at $299. That’s 100 dollars more for touch screen and Wi-Fi capability!

No Comments » Posted by Gregory / Device and Features

When Apple released iPhone over two months back, it had many people excited, but not all were excited by the fact that it was a phone. Most people were excited that it was an amazing iPod, with an additional calling facility.

But there were many who couldn’t go out to buy an iPhone with reasons varying from the cost factor, to the fact that the iPhone came with a 2-year contract with AT&T. People were not allowed to put in their own SIM chip for the new iPhones. One more reason many people could not buy the iPhone is that it was simply not available! Released only in the US, people from all over the world were just waiting to get their hands on this amazing device.

All those people who couldn’t buy the iPhone in the first place are very happy. Many of these people are happy with their present phone, and their service providers, and in any case don’t want to switch over to AT&T, as it doesn’t hold a particularly good impression with the masses as a service provider.

What these people were looking out for is an iPod just like the iPhone. With iPod Touch, their wishes have come true, and now they have access to most of the features in the iPhone for all their media player needs, while they continue using their old cell phone for making and receiving calls.

The iPod Touch sports the same amazingly big 3.5” touch screen, which makes using the iPod Touch very easy, and fun-filled. With CoverFlow, which is also used in the iPhone, giving 3-D like effect to the menu for browsing, you can flip through various album covers to choose your songs to be played.

Wi-Fi capability with the Safari browser enables you to surf the internet with ease anywhere you want, and the built in You Tube player is aimed at fulfilling the dreams of all the You Tube buffs. You can also buy your favorite songs wirelessly either from the Wi-Fi iTunes store or at select Starbucks coffee shops.

No Comments » Posted by Gregory / Device and Features

The much awaited iPod touch is finally here. All the suspense has been unleashed with Apple’s new iPod touch. This little baby is everything that it promised to be and a whole lot more. It has everything that an iPod enthusiast would crave for; music, videos, photos and wi-fi Internet.

The iPod touch wows its viewers with its very attractive 3. 5-inch display screen, which also happens to be wide screen display, a feature much awaited by the iPod fanatics.

The best feature about this product is that enables wi-fi Internet browsing with the help of Safari in which you can gorge your eyes out viewing the YouTube videos to your heart’s content.

The additional feature included in this product is the multi-screen feature, which is only seen in Apple’s new iPhone. All the user has to do is touch the display screen and scroll through songs and the videos.

There is a personal video and music library, which is really easy to operate.

Due to its display capacity, you are also able to flip pages through the music and the video library. In short, the songs come within album covers and flipping through these covers can display the songs/tracks instantly.

Introduction of the touch-screen feature in the iPod does not mean no more iTunes downloads. You can download the iTunes through the wi-fi music store, thanks to your wi-fi enabled device. The best thing about these music downloads is that you can preview the songs or videos before actually downloading them.

The only turn off in this device is its limited storage capacity. The new iPod touch comes only in 8GB and 16GB models wherein both models have similar features. Another turn off is that there is no choice in colors. Apple has come up with the sleek black model, which is attractive, and the company has promised to come up with more choices in this regard.

The accessories in the iPod touch box include the product, earphones, a stand, a dock adapter, a USB2. 0 and a user’s manual.

Putting it simply, the new iPod touch is equipped with everything that an iPod fanatic would ask for.

No Comments » Posted by Gregory / Device and Features

The hype surrounding the launch of the iPod Touch has cooled down, and many analysts are trying to understand this whole scenario. While the iPod Touch is probably the best portable music player available and is described as the iPhone without the calling feature, the question that is raising eyebrows is why did Apple decide to launch the iPod Touch so soon after the launch of iPhone? While the price of iPhone has been dropped by $200 for the 8GB model (the 4GB model has been discontinued), the launch of iPod Touch still has a potential to slow down the sales of iPhone, which has already seen a slowdown in sales after the initial hype during its launch.

iPod Touch can destabilize the sales of iPhone as many potential customers who had refrained from buying the iPhone due to its 2-year lock in contract with AT&T will now be more than eager to buy Touch, as it has all the functions of the iPhone, including Wi-Fi connectivity, complete with safari browser that makes mobile surfing a pleasure. And you can get a 16 GB Touch for the same price of 8GB iPhone!

Do you think that Apple is moving away from iPhone? One reason maybe that telecom companies are very tough to negotiate with. Also, while most of the world now uses GSM 3G, US is still stuck on 2.5G. Thus this phone, which is definitely not 3G compliant, has not yet been launched in Europe and Asia, though there are talks about an end of the year launch of iPhone in Europe. But even before that, iPod touch will already be available in most parts of the world, including Europe.

So what Apple is doing here is adopting a dual strategy wherein it is fighting with two weapons- a phone, and a music player to counter other cell phone companies like Nokia, Samsung and Motorola etc, who are only competing with their range of cell phones. The recent price cuts announced by Apple will also hurt their competitors in the short run.

No Comments » Posted by Gregory / Features

The Apple Core blog has a rundown of the winners and losers from the Apple iPod refresh. In their article I was excited to see that the iPod Touch appears to be a good e-book reader:

The iPod touch looks to be a fine e-book platform and unlike the E Ink screens of the competition, the iPod screen is in color and works in the dark under the blankets without requiring a flashlight. Oh, and it also plays music, games, videos and connects to the Web.

I love reading ebooks. Currently I am hanging on to a Palm T/X for my multimedia needs just for this reason. The T/X plays video, music, displays photos AND is a very good ebook reader.

My day job doesn’t require the PIM functions of the Palm so I really just use it mostly for entertainment. And when it comes to a pure entertainment device, the iPod Touch wins hands down. Being able to read e-books on it would finally enable me to shelve the Palm T/X.

E-books have not really taken off mainstream and I don’t understand why. Being able to read in the dark and not have to turn pages because of the auto scroll feature is great.

Furthermore I have several books on my T/X at any one time and the handheld fits in my pocket. At anytime if I find myself stuck in a line at the bank or waiting in a doctor’s office I can simply pull it out and pass the time.

Adopting ebooks doesn’t have to mean the death of print. I enjoyed curling up with the latest Harry Potter book and the experience of opening a brand new book like that with your hands can not be replaced electronically.

Here’s hoping Apple Core is right and the Apple iPod Touch e-book reader becomes a reality.

No Comments » Posted by Gregory / Applications and Features